iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold: Hands On (and Wait-a-Thon)

What happens when your Sister Site, CrackBerry.com, manages to score a BlackBerry Bold on eBay? What happens after they do their hands-on images, videos, and walkthroughs, that is? What happens is they start sending the beast around the the office. So here we have a full gallery comparing the iPhone and the BlackBerry Bold. Head to head images comparing size, UI, web browser (though that one's not quite fair since the Bold's web browser ain't anywhere near complete yet), and of course media capabilities.

Also after the break, a video walkthrough of the two devices. We've made fun of RIM's claim that the Bold isn't an iClone and now that I'm looking at the two devices side by side on my desk, that fun-making is half-true. Yes, they're different, but the metallic bezel around the edge of a glossy black face sure says "iPhone" to me.

More thoughts and comparisons after the break. What are you waiting for? Read on!

Of course, we're tagging this post Wait-a-Thon, so any commenters (with a valid email address) are automatically entered for a chance to win a $100 iTunes Gift Card. On to the Multimedia Smackdown!

iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold Video

Gallery

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Spec Rundown

Here's the spec rundown, with the advantages in bold (no pun intended)

...We could really go on and on with this chart, for every advantage we can think of for one, it seems to get cancelled out by an advantage by the other. Overall, though the BlackBerry Bold's new look -- both the iPhone-esque shell and the Sony-esque new skin on the UI -- doesn't change the fact that underneath it all this is still a BlackBerry. It's still more corporate friendly than consumer friendly.

Reader comments

iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold: Hands On (and Wait-a-Thon)

Q: If you call a "tail" a "leg", how many "legs" does a dog have?
A: 4. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
Similarly, calling a phone "Bold" doesn't necessarily make it so.
Great comparison, and the BBB certainly has impressive features, but wouldn't it make more sense to wait for the G3 iPhone (IF it actually shows up!) and do the comparison then? At least then you'd be comparing apples to blackberries, so to speak...

Great Comparison. The Bold looks like a step in the right direction for RIM and a nice new edition to the Blackberry line. That said, it's no iPhone and I personally would never get one, but some companies give their employee's Blackberries (often horribly outdated ones), so if your job forces a Blackberry upon you (as my wife's job does to her), this would be a nice one to have.

What about "Keyboard" on the chart? That's a big comparison point. I have a BB and the iPhone; I will objectively say that typing on the iPhone suuuucks in comparison. Also, until the App Store opens up, software options on the BB are far greater. On the flip, Apple has really made an impressive UI.

@ChrisH: Yeah, I started adding Keyboard and WiFi reception and all sorts of craziness to the chart and then realized it would be a neverending thing. I'll say initially that while I expected the Bold's keyboard to be mushy and weird compared to other physical keyboards, it's actually very good.

Could there be any less similar phones? Why not compare a tricycle with a trombone? Oh, because there aren't a bunch of tricycle and trombone fanboys to read the article? I get it.
Here's my prediction, though: RIM licenses Blackberry tech to Apple. WinMo U.S. market share slips below 10% within two years.

One of the things i noticed about the Bold that i did not like was the backing, although it was a sleak hard rubber design, I picked up one at the WES and the back would not stay on, i brought it to the attention of the guy fielding questions and he wasn't able to get it to stay on securely. Not sure if there was a problem with this one particular device or not, but it was scary as this was the first day they were displaying the device and it was already falling apart. Oh and to say they aren't trying to compete with the Iphone is a joke, although not a huge fan of the costly device, i still think they are trying to prevent a mass market move to the iphone....

If e-mail is critical, no doubt that the Blackberry is king. However, I have e-mail on WinMob using Exchange ActiveSync, & it works flawlessly. I assume the same will be true on iPhone 2.0. Of course, if you have no need for media on your phone, then Blackberry may be the way to go. But if media & internet are your main desires, then it's hard to beat the iPhone.

The screen on the Bold looks laughably small next to the iPhone one plus I'm not sure I agree with the earlier comment about the range of software for the BB. I found it to be inadequate next to the number of titles for palm and win mob. As for email on the BB, I don't need push email and prefer the iPhone, Palm and win mob handling of folder support.

Nice comparison, but I still don't understand why the emphasis to want to make a BB an iPhone. They serve 2 markets. Appple understands it needs to be in the exchange market and is headed that way. But I don't think it will change a lot of existing BB users minds once they do that. They will surely get their share of new Exchange customers. I have watched people try and 1 hand operate their iPhone, and it's funny. Not a terrible efficient operation. Nice Job.

I can still type 10x faster, better, and more joyously on the iPhone than I ever could any TreoWinBB keyboard. Absent tic-tactile keyboard love, smaller screen, fatter body, and nowhere near the same class of OS... Even the 1st gen iPhone smokes RIM's latest.
And given they'll still be iCloning with the Storm & Thunder, it sadly looks like RIM won't be stepping up to any innovation of their own anytime soon :(

I like the bold alot, bit blackberry could have done something really bold and made a multi-touch touchscreen.
Being bold isn't recycling pieces of old phonesabd putting a new os on it, that's like a stripper changing outfits and calling herself a different name.
It looks sexy in pictures, but with the iPhone 3g coming out in less than a month we will have to wait and see who wins this little "competition"
I love this site though =]

Thanks for this insightful post. I am currently deciding between the iPhone and the Blackberry Bold. For me, the deal breaker will be html email. I receive a large amount of it, rendering my current Blackberry pretty much useless.
I'd love to see a comparison between the two phones for HTML email. Especially as I've read the Bold will be the first Blackberry to support HTML email.

I really dig both phones, but am an avid BB user. One of my good friends has an Iphone so I am able to get lots of hands on time with it. Now I will explain why my stock is going with RIM though. The Iphone has in a way backed itself into a corner with the simplicity of its design. Apple will never be able to go to a tactile keyboard due to the strong emphasis that it has always put on its touch screen. With that in mind the Iphone will always retain its general cosmetic design but will only be updated with new and improved Os's. RIM on the other hand has the future wide open for them. They have a tactile keyboard which functions exceptionally well, and when they eventually release a touch screen model they will still keep other BB devices in their arsenal of devices. In other words, RIM can go any number of routes with its hardware and not be wrong. I think in the next few years you are only going to see small cosmetic changes on the Iphone itself. Iphone has a nice music player and browser for sure, but given a short amount of time RIM can easily achieve and surpass those features, no doubt.

I know there are millions of fans who love BB. I understand why they do. But I owned a BB Curve and it was terrible. Stupid icons, poor screen, 0 apps. The only reason I bought one was to use it for T-Mobile's hotspot@home. When it worked it was fine but it almost never worked and the BB was shut down. What a POS.
Don't care if they gold plate the BB, iPhones forever.

thanks for the nice comparison. html email is getting more and more important. hope the BB bold is using true html and attachments.
I use both a iphone and a BB. iphone now for web, fun and phone use.
BB for business. I tried the iphone for everyday business use, but comparing, the iphone is far away from being a full blast business phone, as it lacks a true keyboard, also the use of contacts for calls/emails is so fast on a BB, its a workhorse.
then - on a train journey or in a airplane - try to write a long email or article on a iphone and BB - the BB is faster. never can a touchscreen - even if it is as good as the iphone's - cope with a true keyboard.
both devices are good on their respective market, but in a way not comparable. the iphone is a multimedia machine, the BB a office powerhorse. it must not look good, it must make the job easier.
however: apple has done a tremendous job on the UI, and RIM has done some homework too.

Whilst I love email on the BB, and that was the real reason I got it in the first place...I guess I had almost forgotten what a great device the IPhone is!!
Like others had said, apples and oranges, but the IPhone is still a pretty impressive device!

This is a pointless comparison. The Bold isn't shipping and the current iPhone has been shipping for just less than a year. When the Bold ships then the review would be remotely useful. But my guess is that by the time RIM gets the Bold out the door - the new iPhone would of been shipping at least 3 months.

Only thign to remember Tim is that IPhone 2 is going to be much of the same, Only real expected change will be 3G and possibly a cleaner interface? How much more can the improve on the Iphone, It is what it is and will not ever really change, BB is on the move and will continue to bring out new and fresh products for the foreseeable future. Iphone will keep rehashing the same

The biggest downside to the iPhone is the keyboard. It is not as functional and efficient as a BB but it is damn pretty! If you rely upon email for work (especially when traveling) the BB trumps the iphone. Plus throw in the BB's tethering, battery life, and broad spectrum capabilities and it is the winner for a corporate traveler like myself.

John,
How can you say that the iphone will be more of the same? The wonderful thing about it is that it's essentially a mini computer that can be updated with software all the time, only limited by the creativity of developers. It's potential is really limitless and the more powerful the CPU and more hard disk space there is, the better it will get. The interface is wonderful as is, but will continue to be refined and improved.

I don't know the experience level of any of you when it comes to BlackBerry, but I get the feeling that many of you haven't used one. I, on the other hand, have used one for a few years, and I can speak from real experience, and that experience leaves me with one MAJOR complaint about the Bold. Anyway, that complaint is that the OS is so stale its starting to compete with Palm for lack of innovation. I don't care how much they pretty up the screen, nor do I care how much they improve the hardware, I want a fresh, updated OS. Sure, OS 4.6 will have some things behind the scenes that make a difference, but it is still the same text driven, boring OS that BlackBerry has always had, and it is getting beyond old.
As a BlackBerry user, I am also getting tired of seeing everyone that says the iPhone will never touch the BlackBerry in the business world. It simply isn't true! A company riding high and ruling the game for a long time does not make them impervious to falling; just ask Ford if you doubt it. iPhone 2.0 with Exchange support and an UNBELIEVABLE platform for 3rd party business apps presents a serious threat to the BlackBerry. While it may not endanger some of RIM's large existing customers, it could seriously change what happens as they go after NEW customers. Large corporations spring up left and right nowadays, and there is a lot going right for the iPhone that could take those corporations away from RIM and into Apple's pocket.
You can doubt it all you want because YOU don't like certain things about the iPhone, but that doesn't make it any less of a possibility. Your company doesn't care what device YOU like, they care about what device increases productivity and helps spare the bottom line. If the Apple can prove that its iPhone will increase productivity, and will be a cheaper alternative to BlackBerry licenses and BES setups, things could change big time.

I can't believe all of the comments about the iPhone's keyboard. Even from people who claim to own an iPhone (and a BB of course). They say they can't type fast on it, or can't compose a long email, or whatever. I can type 24 w.p.m. on my iPhone (online tests) which is plenty fast for whatever I need to do on a mobile device. If you need to be typing more than a few paragraphs at a time, carry your laptop.
Also, have people actually used an iPhone? Holy crap, did you see this guy have to fumble around the Bold's menus trying to find crap? I have 3 boys ages 2, 5, and 7. My seven year old can do almost anything on the iPhone without any instructions, my five year old can navigate the things he needs to (photos and watch movies, etc.) Just yesterday I showed my two-year-old how to swipe thru photos, done. I swear, the UI is so light years ahead of where the others are, people are just stubborn to not admit it. And with free software updates, are you kidding? It's like getting a new phone every few months.
Sorry for the rant, I guess I'm a believer in my phone after 11 months.

I have the 8830 and hate it.
The BBB doesn't look like they re-thought anything. They just bumped the resolution but they've still got that irritating scroll ball and silly interface. Everything is choppy still, scrolling email, images, web sites.
Like my wife, I want my phone pretty and functional.
Although, you forgot to time yourself typing "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." Blackberry wins every time.

Being that this is a users forum, and, I would bet that 99% of the individuals participating on the forum have a pretty good understanding of the iPhone, one would have to conclude that the knowledge base of the average user here is way above that of the average US citizen. Same with the Blackberry forums and those who participate on those. If you go out on the street and ask the everyday corporate user how they feel about the iPhone or Blackberry Bold.. you will get a blank stare. They could care less about the UI or OS on either product. They wouldn't even know what you were talking about. All they care about is that their particular devise is working.
I am a long time user of Blackberry.. back to 2000 or so. I have friends who are still using 5 and 6 year old Blackberrys and they could care less which OS they are on or what the UI looks like. Or, that their specific model has that stubby antenna on it. All they care about is that their corporate email comes through when they are traveling and the phone works as it should. I also have friends that have iPhones... they are in the same boat. They could care less about any of the technical issues, they only care that it works.
My take is that Blackberry users, both serious and everyday corporate users, will stick with Blackberry.. no matter what the model, OS, UI or how thick it is. They see it as a pure business tool and it does exactly what it was designed to do. They view the iPhone as a consumer toy that is not built for their work-a-day world. On the other hand, iPhone users will stick to iPhones. They purchased it for a specific reason and it does what it was supposed to do and it does it well.
I fully understand the desire to compare the two companies and handhelds.. but the fact is that it is a mute point. One is no better than the other. They were designed to serve different audiences. You will never convince the Corporate CFO and CIO that they need to go out and buy iPhones for their salespeople.. it will never happen. Just like you will never convince the parent of a teenager that they need a Blackberry 8820 or Blackberry Bold for their 17 year old. Two different handhelds for two different worlds.

WatchGuy, that was a very well written post in paragraphs one, two and three. However, you lost your way with paragraph 4. If you watch the Apple Keynote from March, you will see just how serious the iPhone is about to become to the "hardcore business user." I am saying this and I have been an avid fan of BlackBerry for a long time. I used to laugh at the thought of an iPhone being used as a serious business device... UNTIL I watched that keynote.
The iPhone will have:
1. Email push
2. Calendar push
3. Contact push
4. Remote wipe
5. Company defined user policies
and more...
It will also present an unrivaled platform for 3rd party apps thanks to the release of the SDK. They demo'd a few apps during the keynote that had been literally thrown together in 2 weeks or less, and they were at least on par with, if not better than just about any app I have seen on BlackBerry, and 3rd party BlackBerry devs have been working with their platform for years.
You can't say a CFO or CIO will never switch to iPhones for their sales staff, as it is a very real possibility. If the iPhone presents itself as a more cost effective and more productive device, I would bet dollars to donuts that they would think about switching.
I am NOT saying you are wrong, as you are entitled to your opinion. I do feel that your last paragraph was just a bit too close minded for its own good though.

I am disappointed that the Bold uses an 8800-sized form factor (that extra .2 inches does matter if you have handled both an 8800 and a Curve). That is enough to make me wait to change from a Curve. On the iPhone, if they can provide landscape EMail on the iPhone to allow for a larger virtual keyboard, it is worth trying again. Meanwhile, the Curve is a better option for serious EMail and going back to the larger form factor of the Bold just to get 3G and a sharper display isn't worth doing for me at least.

I like both of these phones.... a lot. but I have to say that the Blackberry is a smart phone and the iPhone is more of a feature phone than anything. So its kinda of a strange comparison but one thing I do want to point out is that the Bold has 1 gig of memory plus up to a 16gb micro sd expansion soooo thats 17gb of memory which would make the bold the winner over the iphone.

I have the luxury of getting pretty much every mobile device that comes along and will interact with Exchange. I've had a Iphone since last june and am in the OS 2.0 beta. I've used a BB since 2000 and used every version of that along with a plethora of Windows Mobile devices 5.0 - 6.1
Iphone is not doubt a slick lifestyle device, for the casual user it's pretty close to perfect. I'm never been a big fan of touch screen but it has it's places and for casual users it's sufficient. Apple knew this as it's core audience is web / music type user. Now ActiveSync is no where near as clean as a BB tied to BES and anyone thinking otherwise is smoking crack. ActiveSync is a serious memory hog, flacks out and stops working etc. Anyone who's support WinMo devices the past 2-3 years will tell you the same thing. Apple NEEDED ActiveSync to get interest in the corporate world. And it's POLICY as in password policy there is no other ActiveSync policy you can force, you also gain remote wipe. IF you are on Exchange 2007 you get a couple more but they are no extended to Iphone yet. BB and BES offer over 150 policy .. kinda hard to explain to a TCO/CIO why we should run for LESS security and management of mobile devices.
I was just down at WES and sat in a number of discussions with other fortune 100 admins, executives etc and heard the same thing all week. Iphone is nice but we're not interested. Apple will make headway with places having open mobile policy (allowing personal devices) and small business who can't afford a full BES (though RIM makes multiple version of it now)
Apple is very effective at marketing. The SDK "announcement" showed everyone who wasn't paying attention who huge mobility is and will be. RIM has a very good SDK environment(s) and support development with JAVA,Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio. If you want to see REAL tools business professionals use daily check out Worldmate live, InfoSpace Find It! ... not to mention the coming SAP extension.
The BOLD is decent .. it's the next step in the product line and has some nice new features. RIM recongnizes the landscape is dividing and lifestyle and corporate are different markets.
I think you'll see both companies do quite well the next 2 years and I wouldn't be surprised if a Blackberry Connect client comes out for Iphone .. THAT would make Apple get better traction then god awful ActiveSync.
Thanks for reading.

1st off nice way to get some new readers as I've seen your article on like 3 other sites today. I would say that once iphone 2.0 comes out you should redo this comparison because it will have more business features than the current iPhone. As somone pointed out the iPhone right now is more of a glorified feature phone where as blackbery is obviously a business phone. I used to have a treo with WMO and I've used my fathers BB and for my needs ( mostly surfing the web) the iPhone is by far the best.

Please stop comparing the Iphone to the 9000. Both companies are trying to merge they're devices into the others arena though. The Iphone is currently not a business phone. It’s geared toward the consumer with all its media capabilities. The 9000 is of course geared toward business with its email capabilities.
However, both phones seem to be moving into a business/consumer slot. Those that want and need their email capabilities to be rock solid and have the extra bonus of media will go with the 9000. Those that love their media but want to have more business applications will go with the Iphone with its promised push email on the way.
And of course having both phones go 3g will definitely sway many people. As for businesses, it will be “which company can give me a good deal on their device and which device will last in the field?” BlackBerry has the edge there as far as business goes. It would be a unique move for a company to issue Iphones as their primary field connectivity devices.
It will be interesting to see what happens when both devices get released with their final operating systems. How will they be received?
What does it take to switch an Iphone or BlackBerry user to either phone? So far, it seems to be the keyboard or the touch screen.
Both devices are top notch. I just think they each have their own following and can co-exist rather than try to kill off each other. LOL

BB Bold is not comparable to the iPhone in terms of UI and multimedia, in the same way as the iPhone is not comparable to the BB Bold in terms of email and enterprise functionality (as user MobileAdmin explained nicely). Sorry Apple fanboys, the iPhone DOES SUCK in some areas -- it's not the Jesus Phone you hyped it up to be.

both phones are pretty decent. IMO, the touchscreen of the iphone just takes too long compared to blackberry keypads. Navigating webpages or UI might be slightly simpler with the iphone because of the screen real-estate, but even that maybe be offset by fingerprints/breakage [though thats remedied with a screen protector and a rubber case]. Its too bad that the BB is a bit wider, but you never really know until you use it for a few days because the quirks get you.
in the end, if you do work on your phone or type a lot of stuff/notes/lists, then BB is clearly advantageous. if you like websurfing and entertainment then iphone is the choice. also if you're not at&t then iphone is not an option unless you're willing to switch. i prefer the BB though because I use my phone more for typing / personal agenda functions than entertainment.

I have a Blackberry and love it. I also thought about the iPhone, however, AT&T have the exclusive for the nest 5 years and their service just plainly SUCKS in area. So that really leaves me with no option. You would thing that a big company like AT&T (number 1 in wireless customers) would be able to offer better reception like their (number 2 in wireless service) Verizon Wireless does. That means it is hard for me to compare the Blackberry vs the iPhone.

3G Iphone comes out June 09 2008, and after Blackberry Thunder comes out exclusive to Verizon(This one is Septemberish). So these comparison's are nice but useless. Thunder will be a touchscreen Blackberry so it will be touchscreen vs touchscreen and I think apple is going to get it's collective a$$ kicked(this is comming from an Iphone owner). Apple can't really make a highend product do to it's inevitable greed.

I only got my iphone a few days ago, (jailbroken & unlocked with winpwn) and already I can't live without it...
Imo there aint a better phone uit atm.. And there wont be one anytime soon :) (again, thats IMO ofcourse)

I'm a current iPhone user, having switched from a Blackberry when the IPhone was released. Blackberry OS would have to make a quantum leap in usability and functionality for it to ever tempt me back and, given the glacial pace of RIM's OS improvements, I can't see that happening any time soon. It looks like the next generation iPhone will still reach the market before the "in BETA" Bold. And please don't bring up the "Thunder" - at the moment that is pure vaporware.
Just a few comments in relation to Dieter's head-to-head. Firstly, nice job. Secondly, in the video almost every operation performed on the two phones was performed significantly faster and easier on the IPhone. If that doesn't make it a "productivity powerhouse" then I don't know what does.
Email: Far from being the king of email, the Blackberry cannot properly handle HTML mail, email attachments or IMAP email accounts. These are serious flaws. However, its push email is flawless, and the universal inbox is a convenience. For speed of accessing all your new messages, I'd give this one to the Blackberry, but it isn't as clear cut as Dieter makes out. If you are used to working and organizing your work with folders via iMAP, the Blackberry falls down completely.
UI - no contest, the endless menus and interminable scrolling on the Blackberry are a real pain. The iPhone wins hands down.
Visual Voicemail. Another timesaving business tool on the iPhone, which the Blackberry currently lacks.
Web browser - whatever improvements RIM has planned, they'd better be good, because surfing on a Blackberry sucks big time. iPhone wins.
Screen: Again, no contest. The combination of screen size and resolution on the iPhone beats out just about any smartphone on the market..
Keyboard. I have no hesitation in recommending the iPhone's keyboard over the Blackberry's. I can bash out messages at around 30 words per minute on the iPhone with no errors, using just my index finger. It's easier to access accented letters, to reposition the cursor to insert or correct text, and the keyboard adapts itself to each specific application, and to particular data entry fields (such as web and email addresses). Best of all, the keyboard only appears when you need it, freeing up the screen for more comfortable and more productive viewing. I've used both Treo's and Blackberry's in the past and the supposed advantages of their tiny, chiclet keyboards are vastly overstated.
Memory: 1 gig of internal memory is just silly compared to the iPhone's 16 gig.
3rd party applications: The selection of third party applications available for the BB is paltry. Despite many years on the market, the Blackberry OS has failed to gain significant traction as a development platform. I expect the OSX on the iPhone to quickly surpass it it terms of the number and quality of third party applications.
Will the iPhone "kill" the Blackberry. Of course not. RIM brought a simple, inexpensive and robust mobile email solution to corporate America, and that is still the Blackberry's primary selling point. But the iPhone and OSX has so much potential, it's hard to see it not picking up some enterprise business, too, while retaining a firm grasp on the mindshare of the consumer.

Thanks Trevor seems as though the Iphone has some advantages over BB. I was thinking of purchasing the Iphone with a good plan. The bold looks nice but still small for some that have big hands etc. Does the Iphone 3g going to have some newer features that you might of heard?

I can dial numbers, look up contacts, scroll through web pages, check my calendar, read emails, browse photos, select music and control music playback one-handed on the iPhone. No problem. Proper typing requires two hands, just like on a Blackberry.

The one-handed navigation argument is getting about as old as the not for business argument... It is no different than using a trackball if you really think about it. You don't need to pinch to zoom, you can double tap and it smartly zooms to where your thumb is, you don't need to pinch to zoom out either, because the same thing applies, tapping is all you need.
The iPhone is slim enough to be held comfortably in one hand while you move your thumb up, down, left and right, just like you do with a trackball. I just don't understand how movements on one device make it easy to use one handed, while the same movements on another device make it impossible to use one handed...

I like the iPhone but 3 critical reasons that I use BB Curve from Verizon. 1. No Search feature 2. No 3G, 3. Poor reception where my office is. iPhone will make a splash but for BB is so much faster to use and has the features that I need for business.

According to Handango:
3,644 total apps listed as compatible with BlackBerry OS.
9,757 total apps listed as compatible with Symbian OS.
10,619 apps listed as compatible with Palm OS.
18,382 apps listed as compatible with Windows Mobile OS.
I wonder where he got the idea to state that BlackBerry has a "paltry" selection of third party apps... I dunno... maybe because it is the truth? I guess recognizing the truth makes you an iPhone fanboy, right?
The iPhone is not listed, because it obviously doesn't have any officially released apps yet. It STILL goes to show how much of an oversight 3rd party apps for the BlackBerry platform is though.
Only time will tell how many apps the iPhone ends up with, but with the rate of speed developers are jumping to develop for it, I have a feeling it will rank up there with WinMo.

My experience with my BB, which I used for more than 2 years, was that both the quantity and quality of 3rd party applications fell well short of those available for other mobile platforms. I find it truly depressing that any rational discussion of a particular phone and its merits always has to result in someone branding someone else as a "fanboy".

"can not compare these 2 products, the ipone is better"
Isn't that compairing the 2 products?
It's nice to have choices, pick one but it doesn't make people who have the other wrong.
I don't wanna be just like you!

Multitasking and a keyboard are the reasons I stick with BB. I really like the iPhone's screen real estate, but no GPS and fewer supported formats for audio/video also turn me off.
Is the G3 going to address all of these?

I own an 8gb iPhone but got a chance to compare it to some colleague's Blackberrys last week.
For personal use (whcih is what I use mine for), the iPhone wins hands down. It is just soooo cool. However, when you factor in business apps, the keyboard and exchange options, the Blackberry wins hands down.
Horses for courses I guess.

I agree after reading all the reveiws of BB fans that BB is the product of 2008. But iPhone is the product of 2012. I have used all the BB models and please stop comparing it with the iPhone. BB is past. Please save some money and buy an iPhone and you guys won't talk about the BB again.

I like the new Blackberry Bold, but I would only think it's fair to do a side by side comparison on the new iPhone instead of the existing phone. With that being said, based on the chart I would definitely stick to the current iPhone.

BB needs help most definitely, but one is more designed for business people and one for artsy. I think we all know which is which. iPhone lacks in Microsoft compatibility (like with Word docs etc) and probably still will after the 2.0 upgrade to old iPhones and introduction of the new 3G. I think the Bold definitely takes over in this area, being the PC guy of the Apple commercials, lol.

I love my iPhone and I'm done with reading comparisons with other phones because I have absolutely no intention of changing (except maybe to a 3G iPhone). The best thing about the iPhone is that big, sexy glass screen. I don't love a tactile keyboard so much that I'm willing to sacrifice half the freakin' screen area for it. Ridiculous!
As far as email and other features, if the iPhone does this well after a year of being introduced then it is only a matter of time that it's shortfalls get resolved. The last couple of (free) software updates have yielded some decent improvements, with more stated to follow.
And you don't need a bunch of software apps to load up when it's functional in the first place and there webapps to use.
Ain't changing. No way. Love my iPhone. lol

There is a big enough market out there for both phones and more! The Blackberry does what I need it to do and SO MUCH more. The IPhone can't keep up with me. Let's hope that the competition stays HOT, cause when it is hot we get the benefit of it, Blackberry and/or IPhone users alike.
IPhone is a GREAT phone but not for me.

I was seriously considering both of these phones (the NEW iPhone, not the current one) and after reading these comments and seeing the differences I think I will choose the NEW iPhone. I like the way the info is easier to read on the iPhone and Web pages display better. I can't wait for it to finally come out and see what it will actually offer. I didn't know there was an issue with HTML emails on the BB, so that would be an issue for me.

Sorry for the length... I guess I had more to say than I thought.
I am in this same boat... BB Bold or iPhone? Which do I go with. I am on-call at least 1 day a week and need to be connected with my email during that whole day. I currently have the Blackjack and it works great for me. It's almost 2 years old and that's the only reason I'm considering a change... it's just out of want, not need.
Currently, if I get an email that I need to address via my computer, I tether into my laptop (via Bluetooth, not a wire) at 3G speeds and do what I need to do. Then I disconnect and rely on my phone's email again until I'm needed. The only major drawback to my current setup is that my phone can only check every 15 minutes. It’s not crucial, but it would certainly be nice to have push email. However, I do have a vast collection of movies & music. I have the capability of watching movies and listening to music on my Blackjack, but the screen is so small that it's hard to see unless I have the screen near my face. The speaker on the Blackjack is pretty weak also.
My brother has the first gen iPhone and he likes it for the most part. What’s weird though, is him and I are pretty tech savvy, and right out of the box we noticed lots of omissions of basic features on other phones. It makes you wonder who is in charge of R & D at Apple and do they actually let anyone other than an Apple employee play with the phones before they go into production.
First off, I know Apple is all gung ho on the “email is the future” kick But why would you take away a basic (and WIDELY used) function like MMS? Include it AND include the ability to email. Who died and made Apple king? That in itself is just plain sstupidity. I'm hoping the second gen iPhone will adress this or allow 3rd party developers to address this without having to jailbreak the phone. For the average user, jailbreaking is a completely foreign term to them. If they knew what it meant, they most likely wouldn't even think of jailbreaking their phones in fear of voiding their warranties.
Second, apparently you can't change the sounds or volumes for individual notifications. On my Blackjack, I can change the sound and volume for each of my individual notifications such as
Ring = vibrate and ring & volume 4
Messages = sound 4 & volume 2
Email = sound 1 & volume 4
Alerts = sound 2 & volume 2
Alarms = sound 1 & volume 5
I have the ability to customize this type of list for up to 5 different (and renameable) profiles. From what my brother said, this isn’t even remotely possible.
Third, the speaker on the iPhone just plain sucks donkey sweat! He played a movie at the highest volume while driving (my Lexus GS350, so it’s REALLY quiet inside) and I couldn’t even hear it. In fact, I thought he was messing with me and didn’t have the sound on at all. You need the (cheap & ugly) proprietary headphones that Apple sells in order to utilize ANY sort of sound on the device. My blackjack has the same type of proprietary headphones for my Blackjack. The new BB Bold has a standard headphone jack and will work great with my Creative ear buds that pump out some seriously clean sound and gnarly bass!
Fourth, apparently you can’t tether your iPhone without hacking it. I may be wrong on this, but even if you can, it’s not nearly as easy as my Blackjack where I launch a program and hit connect. Within seconds, my Blackjack will be connected to my laptop via Bluetooth. I LOVE the no wires thing!
Fifth (and last), the iPhone is REDICULOUSLY priced. When the original iPhone was launched, people were paying $600-800 for one. They obviously settled down to around $400 (my brother bought his outright with no contract extension for $400 about 6 months ago). This was for the 8gb version. My guess is the new 16gb second gen with the 3G will probably release around the same price. This is only a guess… but I don’t think it’s an irrational one. Now, supposedly, Blackberry has NEVER released a phone over $399. That being said, even if the BB Bold were to release at that $399 number (even though most speculate it will release around $300-350), I could almost buy 2 BB Bolds for the price of an iPhone. That’s a bog factor! It’s not that I don’t have the money, that isn’t the point… it’s just knowing I dished out $600-800 for a PHONE! I mean, my Blackjack was only $200 and that was hard considering I had never paid over $99 for a phone before.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many sexy things about the iPhone. You can’t help but see how beautiful of a device it is. It’s incredibly simple and classy; it’s thin and has a huge, vibrant screen. It’ll work great for me while at the gym too! It’ll play my movies, music as well as be a (semi decent) camera & obviously a phone. All of those things make it very desirable to me. However, it still lacks some very basic features that are more important features to me than a movie/music player. The first gen iPhone doesn’t have enough “good” to pry me away from my 2-year old Blackjack, yet alone steal me from the upcoming BB Bold. Don’t get me wrong, the BB Bold isn’t perfect either. The screen is better than the iPhone with it’s HVGA, but it’s so small compared to the iPhone. Watching a movie would be like it is on my Blackjack now, just cleaner. The OS is inferior and the browser (no matter what anyone says), still won’t touch what the iPhone puts out. But, it does have tethering capabilities as well as basic MMS, ringtone changes and profile customization. And it’s reported that the speaker is actually a GREAT speaker. No more tinny sounding piece of crap, this thing is supposed to sound real good! Basic features I know, but things the iPhone doesn’t offer. This is why I’m having a problem deciding.
I’m not going to be one of the guys who waits for 2 days (or 20 minutes) in line for the release of either of these phones. I am definitely interested to see if the second gen iPhone addresses any of the issues I stated above. If they do, then I might become an Apple customer (never thought I’d say that). If not, then I would seriously have to consider the BB Bold or maybe even just keeping my Blackjack until something that better suites my needs comes up.

Can someone tell me if the BBB will have Activesync technology? We don't have the BBES at the office and this capability will sway me one way or the other, of course the 3G iphone will have Activesync.

I am a committed BB user for many years, started withthem when they just did email and not telephony, and everytime I peeked over the fence to see if it was greener on the other side it was pretty easy to see it wasn't. BB's competition has gotten closer though and with this latest edition from Apple I am at least going to peek again. Most of my emails on a BB are very short, 3 or 4 lines tops, and I think I could do that effectively on an iPhone if when I really needed to do big emails etc I could tether the iPhone to my laptop. Will the 3G version support this?

Their both great phones. You cannot really look at a blackberry and say its not great. Those things are amazing for what they do. But what they dont do is everything that you really want from an iphone. Iphone beats it out only because its just have everything the blackberry has and more. great phone. but i will not be buying one, im gettin a 3G

I don't understand all the fussing and arguing over the iPhone and the Bold. They are both excellent phones and each has its +'s and -'s. The consumer has to decide which phone will fit his/her needs. The same questions can be asked when buying a car, Ford or GM!! It's just personal preference not which one is the best!

The time has come for me to get a new phone. I'm LUSTING for an iPhone ... but wondering what the wise choice should be. The video has me leaning toward iPhone ... and maybe I'll always wonder "if only" ... if I do not get the iPhone.

Can anyone advise me on the following? I prefer a regular keyboard which recommends the Blackberry but like the screen size on the iPhone. However, I find the font too small to read on the iPhone calendar and the calendar function is very important to me. Can those of you who use both tell me what neither ATT or Apple has been able to- is there a way to increase the font on the calendar? And if there are any 60 year olds out there, which screen do you find easier to read? While contacts are fine on the iPhone, other text is not.

I've been using the BB 8700 for 2 years and it's the best phone I ever had. However I am seriously considering the new iPhone 3G for a couple of reasons.
First I'm just not sure how I'll like the new trackball system. I played around with a Curve in the store; just didn't feel right. Maybe the Bold will be better. But this is a concern.
Also, while I use e-mail more than any other app, I've found that I also use the Web much more that I thought I would. The BB browser is awful. Again, maybe they've improved in the Bold.
Overall I just think RIM needs an overhaul in the OS, but from the screenshots I've seen it just looks like different icons. I would've liked more innovation.
My main concern with the iPhone is the lack of physical keyboard. I'm also curious how iPhone's e-mail client integrates with the phone book. A lack of RIM-level integration would be a deal killer.
I will look closely at both once they're finally in stores and will pull the trigger on one.

I have been considering a new phone and the articles here have been very informative. I am currently an IPhone user and I have the same gripes as most; Where is the MMS messageing, message forwarding, and the copy/paste features? The answer is obvious: Marketing Strategy. Apple is now about to offer the G3 and will cause a lot of current iPhone users to upgrade in addition to gaining a larger share of the customer base as well. After the G3, sometime in the distant future; Apple will offer a new iPhone (with a cool tech name) that will addrees some of the major issues that we are all complaining about. Perhaps it will allow MMS Messaging. This alone would be enough incentive for a lot of us to upgarde. Raise your hand if you just HATE having to go to the infamous "ViewMyMessage" website to see the pic your friend just tried to send you from thier "Free" phone that came with thier plan. Apple is in this game for Apple, not us. They have a great product coupled with a shrewd, ruthless marketing strategy. Where do I stand on the comparison between the BBB and the G3? I will have to go with the G3 (or my current iPhone for that matter). If you read through all the post (as I did), you have already read my reasons several times, as stated by others. What I am not seeing is much discussion about the upcoming Blackberry Thunder. Have you looked at this phone yet? If not, here's the link:http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/06/08/blackberry-thunder-live-shot-d...
One feature I throughly enjoy is the iPod that comes with the iPhone. I managed to snag an Apple Hi-Fi off eBay a while back (they are no longer available from Apple) and my iPhone gets a solid workout whe I get together with friends. Although designed for the iPod, it works great with my iPhone and delivers outstanding sound. My iPone is the most popular phone at the party, hands down (everyone wants their turn at DJing). That being said, I will demand a music interface that performs (doesn't necessaryly have to "look") just as good from my next phone. We know the G3 (and future iPhones will do that) however, the BB Bold already claims interface capabilities with iTunes. Obviously a Touch Screen - easily as large (or larger) than the iPhone... What if the BB Thunder delivers media as well as the iPhone AND has all the features we miss so much, such as MMS, cut/copy/paste, Quick Notes, Message Forwarding, etc.? Rumors are calling for a release date around September. One hitch, it is a Verison exclusive. Is that so bad? Well, all of us iPhone users seemed to accept the AT&T contract that was mandated for the iPhone. If you have good Verison service in your part of the country, why would a contract with verison be any harder to swallow? I really don't see enough of an upgrade in the G3 to make me jump on board just yet. I will have to continue using my current 16G iPhone ans see what the BB Thunder has to offer. It should be interesting...

CUT AND PASTE? (I don't think that iPhone does cut and paste - am I wrong? That's a crucial feature.)

Did I mention KEYBOARD?

This is a weird comparison - it homes in on the superficial features, and omits the crucial stuff that you use day to day.
Sorry but it looks to me like iPhone is way more fun but Blackberry is way more useful.
Art

This is a ridiculous comparison. You are comparing a toy gadget like the iPhone to a business class product like the Bold. The fact is they don't compare because no real business class user would consider the iPhone as an option.

I had BB and now I got iPhone, no matter what people say I find using iPhone smart keyboard much easier to use as I don't have to worry about what I'm typing, just keep taping buttons you'll get it right.
interface for BB really sucks.
BB hardly has any Apps to support.
Apple being a bigger company is coming up with nice tools for Application development.
I don't use a phone just for email, if phone could be used for everything its good, i.e. Entertainment, games, browsing, etc.
Where iPhone beats BB by miles, touch screen makes navigation much faster and with iPhone 3G on 11 July I think its a killer.
3G, true GPS, integration with Exchange ActiveSync and with companies like EA, SEGA and many others supporting iPhone, its not only a business device but also a portable entertainment.
Frankly I travel a lot and I don't want to be bogged down at airports with just "emails".

Megan hit the button (or touchpad) on target with her comment "I think it is aimed more for the common user." (iPhone)
I'm currently reviewing both the G3 iPhone and the BB Bold for my office--and we're a bunch of IT geeks. Three of us want crackberry, three of us want iPhone. Those that want iPhones want SIMPLICITY. They just want to be able to touch it and make it happen. Those that prefer Blackberry want crisp screens (without cheetos-prints on them) with the power to essentially carry a small workstation in their pockets.
Simplicity vs. Functionality.
I myself have a BB 8320 at the moment, and I have to say, it is the best PDA I've ever own. I actually loaded all sorts of programs on it--to the point that I no longer have to carry a laptop with me when I travel to repair user systems. I simply loaded in the biggest mini-SD chip I could find and put all my regular drivers/etc on there. Quick USB hookup to any pc or mac, and I'm outtie. Not so easy on an iPhone.
I'm not sure why Greenie and others had so much problem finding apps for BB, I've found dozens of truly useful ones with no difficulties. And his/her comment "3G, true GPS, integration with Exchange ActiveSync" leaves me wondering: Did you really read the specs on the BB Bold at all? I've got true GPS in my 8820 (love using it with Google Maps..especially since I just moved), 3G is in the Bold, and well, we all know about Exchange and BB.

The comparison I saw on a different site (pinstack.com ?) (phonescoop.com?) [don't remember] shows Iphone 3G does not have photo flash nor photo zoom nor video recording, nor streaming video. Apple is known for its emphasis on photos, so the lack of these features creates a major "why?"
Worse, they report the Iphone phone voice quality is inferior to BB. If the first function of a phone is, well, a phone, then voice quality would be a huge difference that mutes (pardon the pun) a lot of the other Iphone advantages.
Not being able to edit/copy/paste or forward emails would be an Iphone minus but not a sole deal breaker.
You can view attachments on a BB but not sure about the Iphone. Anyone know?
Supposedly the net 3G Iphone will have $20 month up-charge over the current version. Thus, you've paid $480 more over a 24 month period than you pay now, so that erases the lower initial price.
I love the Iphone's slick intuitive features, but the biggest turn-off to me is if it is hard to hear the voice on the other end. I use a phone far more for a phone than email or other secondary features.

Sadly we have two iphones and 'coincidentally', BOTH OF THEM have a strip on the screen that quit responding to touch AT THE SAME TIME. I read up on this online and many people are experiencing the same problem after 9 months of use. Even though Apple guarantees the hardware for a year THEY WILL FIND ANY EXCUSE NOT TO FIX IT! My daughter had a nick on her phone that happened seven months earlier and was totally unrelated to the current issue and they refused to fix it. WARNING TO ALL OF YOU IPHONE USERS - APPLE'S TECHNICAL SUPPORT IS NOT CUSTOMER FOCUSED! We are purchasing three Blackberry Bolds when they come out. Another big downside to the iphones is that you can't send pictures or manipulate documents on the phone itself. I know personally that Blackberry technical support is both excellent and responsive. That speaks volumes to me. It's easy to sell a phone but a company who stands behind their products is a company with integrity. All of my bosses at GM have Blackberry phones and they would choose to have nothing else.

I find that either of the two have discussed the ability to make and receive simple calls?? The most basic function of the Phone is to make calls, hopefully, clear calls. why is this and will someone report on the above?

I am debating getting an iphone3G vs BBB soon. From a 'bang for the buck' and risk perspective I think I will go for BBB for now.
Imagine buying an iphone for $150 with 3 year contact and the touchscreen failing after 1.5years. If you don't mind shelling out another $300 for a replacement then by all means iphone is the way to go.
I can't trust the long term reliability of touchscreens especially for something I carry around daily. May be someone can amaze me with Apple's drop testing results.
For all screen realestate that iphone offers I feel that a heavy usage will compromise the screen clarity. I will have to keep wiping the screen and worry about scratches.
Is the battery replceable on iphones? I want the flexibility of accessing and changing battery myself when the need arises. I am already ***ssed off at my ipod battery replacement.
I'd rather wait at airports listening to my music player than draining my phone's battery.
No thanks apple.

I have been an iphone user for several months so far and for the most part I love it but there are some drawbacks. There is no copy and paste feature which is very annoying but iphone's system is very well integrated. If someone sends me a phone number in a text or email, the phone recognizes it as such and i can then press it and call the number. i can then add it to a new contact or an already existing contact. same for emails. there is no text forwarding but there is email forwarding. there is no mms but you can send pictures through email and receive pics through email. my boyfriend has a treo and i use my email to send pics to his mms and he sends picture mms to my email. as everyone has said the browser is beautiful. in addition email on the iphone seems very easy and user friendly to me. it has full html viewing which i love. the 2.0 software got released yesterday and there are already a number of apps available, some are very good and some have alot of bugs but im sure there is only more to come. the new software made minor but necessary changes to contacts and email. I dont believe you can tether with the iphone so people who do alot of tethering are better off with a bb however the iphone is very business capable. i understand some people like physical keyboards and at times so do i, but the virtual keyboard is quite good, better than i expected and while i had trouble with it at first the keyboard technology seems to be a smart technology which learns the users keystrokes with time, so the iphone actually becomes more accurate with word predictions and recognitions the longer you use it. you can not customize sounds for each alert but you can customize ringtones for each contact. the camera actually takes decent pictures but there is no flash and no zoom. you cannot record videos either. you can enlarge the font for email viewing but not for any other program in the phone. depending on the person, some of these things may be more important than others. hope this helps anyone on the fence. when i was looking to buy a new phone i was between the blackberry curve and the iphone and i went with the iphone but different features are important to different people. finally, i would just like to say that i commute to work everyday in nyc and you would not believe the amount of people i see on the train with a blackberry phone while listening to an ipod. why carry all the extra weight if you dont have to and can combine the two in one?

After my boyfriend smashed my BB curve, I automatically went to the AT&T store to buy a new curve...but then my sister mentioned the possibility of getting the new 3G iPhone and I'm kind of kicking myself in the butt. I think I have 30 days to return/exchange though. Thanks for this review it's awesome! I love the iPhone's user friendly-ness, but I depend on my crackberry for e-mail and maps. Still on the fence...I think I'll go to the AT&T store again today.

Just came from a Rogers kiosk where the rep informed me that the I phone will be dethroned once the BBB is available to them. He said there is no advantage of the I Phone over the BBB. Butcher said it best. "The I Phone is for trendy people while the BBB is for important people."
Further, BB uses a data compression technology where the Iphone does not. So, if you're doing a lot of surfing or emailing, you'll be making your Iphone wireless provider will be very happy. I prefer to keep my money in my pocket. I'm going to a BBB.

I can't wait to get this Blackberry Bold on my hand. I am also introduce a forum for the BlackBerry Bold Fans http://www.BlackBerryBoldForum.com, if you are future buyers of the bold, you should take a look at

iPhone all the way! If you are an Apple computer owner the synergy that exists between Apple devices is amazing. True plug and play, it syncs with everything important on my computer and keeps me organized.

Hello there I am a rising iPhone 3G Forum and I would like to get a site link back if possible. I see you are into the iphone world also and I can link my visitors to your site when mine cannot answer it and your also. Its a win win situation and can only help you!
So please email me back if you want to continue through with the link exchange and I will provide a link to the view of the permanent link.
Thank you!
Jefe-www.iphone-3g-forums.com

Hello there I am a rising iPhone 3G Forum and I would like to get a site link back if possible. I see you are into the iphone world also and I can link my visitors to your site when mine cannot answer it and your also. Its a win win situation and can only help you!
So please email me back if you want to continue through with the link exchange and I will provide a link to the view of the permanent link.
Thank you!
Jefe-http://www.iphone-3g-forums.com

Hi, I am a Blackberry Curve user in Australia, I also am a Apple user (laptop), iMac, ipod, etc. When I first saw the iphone in the states, I could not wait to get my hands on it. Finally we got it here in Oz, again, I couldnt wait, I loved everything about it.
As much as I loved my Blackberry, I gave in the the pressure and got the iphone 3G 16G...Excited ! I went home and what I thought would be as easy as sticking in my sim and plugging it in was another story...It took DAYS to set up, and still I was having problems with Mobile Me..which is the driver between your laptop, and the iphone, it would not sync information two ways, which was a nightmare, for example if I put an appointment in my laptop calendar, it pushed it to my iphone...great, but if I put an appointment in my iphone, it didnt push it to my laptop...I could go on for days on how I had to 'troubleshoot' the problem, and it was for days which in the end I still have not fixed...Not to mention the battery life, I downloaded some cool APPS but the minute you use them, they drain your battery, I would be lucky for the phone to last by the end of the day ! Texting, emailing was just a pain, no comparison to the BB, its a breeze to type on the keyboard ! Yeah sure, the other features such as photos, music, etc on the iphone are cool, but when it comes to everything else (email, MMS (which the iphone cant do) ) the Blackberry kicks butt. I have now gone back to my Blackberry, and will be selling the iphone on Ebay with the funds, I will go and get myself a new iPod Touch, everything the iphone is minus the phone ! PS - the handsfree speaker on the Blackberry is heaps clearer and louder too !
There is my view hope it helps you out !

Both Unlocked iphone and blackberry is available on our site, but they are not real branded product, just similar in shape and function, so for those who just don't willing to pay 600USD on one cell phone may try to order some from us at half the price, or even less.

A blackberry will always be a blackberry, no matter how they make it look. It is definitely a great phone. Comparing it to the iphone is just silly though. The blackberry was originally built for squares, and still mostly caters to the square crowd. The iphone is supposed to be a hip alternative for the squares while taking your ipod and making it a communication device as well. Two completely different phones. If you are unsure which to get. Buy a Sprint Instinct. I am sure you will be as disappointed as you would if you bought a blender to make pancakes. Think about it.

I have both a Blackberry (two years+ old) and a 3G iPhone (1 month old).
I use the iPhone primarily as a music player. I also Google with it. It's very cool looking. I love scrolling through music but I find the on screen keyboard annoying. I can't seem to get used to it. I probably should have gotten the iTouch for what I do with my iPhone.
I use the Blackberry for e-mail and for making phone calls. For business, the Blackberry has a great speaker phone and a handy mute button. I can't leave my house without taking my Blackberry with me (I guess that's why they call it a "crackberry").
If the Bold has a nice looking screen, it would be much more useful, especially for reading e-mail attachments. If some future Blackberry had a touch screen, even if the touch screen was just used for scrolling through e-mail and for selecting names in my address book, I think it would be super! On screen scrolling through lists is such a nice feature.
The bottom line: the iPhone has a very pretty screen and is great for music, but I find my Blackberry is more useful. I could live without my iPhone (I'd get an iTouch instead) but I couldn't live without my Blackberry.

What a joke ! a year i waited for the 3g iphone to arrive in europe and dissapointed is an understatement, The iphone is a let down in the areas that were probably the simplest to perfect. No cut and paste options, not possible to forward a text message, no delivery report on a text message, cant bluetooth photos, cant send pics by mms, battery life low, no video, cant use your songs to wake up to like the ipod etc etc...sorry apple, i love my mac laptop but its a new blackberry bold for me all day long.

I have played around with the iPhone and can honestly say it isn't anywhere near as good as everyone says. Touchscreen is a cool feature but also makes it so accidental keystrokes are added when they're not intended. With the BB, lack of a touchscreen is not a downside, its more of a shift from functionality. I also noticed in the article's chart that Dieter Bohn claims "Trackball + BB menu confusion" but the menu on a Blackberry is very easy to maneuver when you actually use one for any length of time...kind of the same for an iPhone; the first time I used it I couldn't figure anything out but the more you use it, the more second nature it becomes...not a fair comparison. Overall, excellent article(mostly due to the pics and vid) and I can't wait to get my Bold.

can't wait to get a bold.
see... i've taken the time to 'understand' how computers work... and i don't need steve jobs holding my hand, patting me on the ass, and telling me it's gonna be alright.
oh... and did anyone mention that the BBB is tether-able? hmmmm, that might be a 'minor' corporate selling feature.
i used an iPhone for a month and found it to be very toy-like. once the novelty of wiggly button wears off, you're stuck with TERRIBLE email client.
i do understand some people's choice of the iPhone though... it does have pretty pictures and a good resolution for surfing and playing games. maybe you can download some baby einstein videos from youtube to keep yourself busy while i work!

well lets see here - this is very serious iphone place .. but I wonder how many of you have ever used a mac, or mac osx. I am willing to bet less than half. Not only that before this product I am sure not many of you even cared about apple , and were more pc users. Having said that - this appears to be a pro iphone blog , sorry to say The Iphone is not a good phone let alone the fact its bad work on the half of apple. And its not really a apple standard release. If you are wondering where I come off saying such things about the beloved iphone well. I have been a Mac User for 15 years and have tested every version of its Operating system known to the public and more. So I think I can say what ever I want, and have credibility.
I do not believe apple has any business in the phone market , and they don't know anything about cell phones. thats why the I-TRASH is exactly what it sounds like. Pure Crap. Form factor plastic - with limiting memory, and non standard parts. you have to use apple proprietary software to charge it , and get some 3rd part item for the charger like a USB to AC adapter, and if you buy it from apple it will be 50$ plus of course.
And thats not even why the I-Trash sucks, It sucks because its built on Ipod technology, it over heats, it drops signal due to the infineon processor failer. The touch screen is going to freeze up in the winter because it needs heat to operate so you won't be able to make calls waiting for the bus in the snow lol. The Mobile me Service has been down since day one. The virtual keyboard is too small for most people's hands. Its over reactive and annoying, not to mention more trouble than its worth. The only thing that is useful in anyway on this device is the browser, but its actually become obsolete , why? because people can use opera on other handsets which is better than safari. Oh I almost forgot to mention the fact that you can not replace the battery your self. You have to send it to apple for repair or you void your warranty hahah. And its hardwired in most probably un like other hand sets. That can be replaced easily and quickly with out problems, cheaply no doubt and a basic cost at about 20$ not 100 or 75$ which is what it will cost for iphone battery replacement. So do you still think you got a great deal?

Wrong compression between both Phones.
For me every body have different test nobody can advice what to take.
Touch Screen is something to play.
For Office/Business Users I say non touch screen’s (Like BBB) Phones are better so when you are talking your call doesn’t disconnects with you cheek touching to screen.
I am Compare Nokia E65 8Gb/ E71 with BBB for me BlackBerry Bold is doing much then Symbion OS because I am an office/business user.
I will never buy something with touch screen that is useless for me, doesn’t matter how good looking it is.
Same when you are considering of marring you always looks homely lady never a party girl because of long run. 

Doesn't anyone other than me have trouble HEARING on the Iphone?. The Blackberry has a great sound system and with the speakerphone on you can hear your callers across a across a room!
That being said, although I can HEAR the Blackberry better, I can't READ the keyboard on the Blackberry! The keyboard is ridiculously TINY! Having to put glasses on to read the keyboard is highly annoying...
Anyone know whether the new iphone's sound system is any better than the first generation Iphone?

I have just had 3 days from hell with a BB Bold. Its going back today. Too wide, Too heavy, patchy Wifi and network operation.. And without a PC around I was unable to load up a more recent 'everything fixed" OS version... Pffffffffffft! WASTE OF TIME!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Omnifocus app has pushed me over the edge..(prior to that I saw all Iphone apps as dumbas** time waste 'toys'. I will move from BB Curve 8300 to Iphone soon. Goodbye BB it was nice knowing you...

I would like to say how much I have enjoyed reading the contrast of comments on this site... You can dramatically tell which people are fanboys of apple being that they immediately trash the other product instead of mentioning the things they like about their own.
i have both and while the video screen is great on an iphone, i will never get full use out of it as I have a laptop for long trips and sitting around the house.
also, the touch screen is brutal on the iphone. while it looks very pretty (seemingly apples main focus) it is VERY hard to be exact with your clicking and dragging.
and i have been in the computer and technology industry for quite a while and who in their right mind releases any device without COPY AND PASTE functionality!! thats just ridiculous!!!! several times i have tried responding to a long email and with the copy and paste function not available and the bad keyboard, it was nothing but hell.
as for blackberry, i'm sure they were not copying the iphone when they made theirs considering they are putting their phones out to a completely different market. the bold looks like a combination of the curve and the 8800. and for the record when a newer and better technology is developed, every company uses it if it will benefit their product. it would be stupid not to. can you imagine if there was only one flat screen LCD company out there and all others were still selling tubes?? it would never happen.
so in closing, apple fanboys need to stop being so narrow-minded and one-sided. it really makes you look like a poorly raised human being. and just because the computer looks pretty and because cool moviestars have them, doesn't mean its the best product hands down. be yourself, experience things for yourself, and try and generate an opinion based on your own true though.

yeah, iphones are overrated. they're for people with little fingers, someone above said the typing sucks...and i definetly agree...touch screens don't impress me either because there's just more room for something to happen that you don't necessarily want to happen. I prefer the bold hands down...great features and it's still a phone....people just jumped on the bandwagon with the iphone

For some stupid reason it irritates me when people say that the Bold stole the iphone look. If the Bold stole the look from the iphone then the iphone stole if from the BB Pearl. Glossy black with chrome effect edges? - yep. Released before the iphone? yep - I had mine months before the iphone was released.

I used a Palm for years, plus Docs to go. Worked well as a business PDA because I could view and change MS Office files, and synchronise easily with my PC
But deadly slow
I thiought the Blackberry Bold woulld enable me to junk the Palm and Nokia Razr, and just carry "1 does it all"
Well, I exported and inmported 948 contacts from my Palm to Outlook, only to find that I I had to line edit every one. It took a week
Then I could receive emails, but not send
Only the guy at Rogers in downtown store figured out the fix
Then the flimsy cover over the SD disc port came off its plastic backing. I super glued it on
Now I cannot email in or out.
The Bold has a good screen, fast communicator, but
1/. It is infuriatingly complicated to navigate [and find] the correct item on its scroll menues
2/. It is flimsy. IO doubt if it will last a drop even on a carpet [No, I have not dropped it, yet]
3/. The claim that you can easily transfer from Palm OS is just not true, it takes hours, if you can figure it out.
4/. The email system is erratic, and almost no one knows how to fix it [my one guy at Rogers does]
I Think RIM rushed this out to have something to compete with the iPhone.
But the iPhone is NOT a business PDA, you cannot access MS Office files with it

Well, why is everyone so quick to judge? Every phone manufacturer is entitled and SHOULD come up with the newest and up to date phones as technology allows! If you don't want an iphone (which has poor textabilty because of the small keyboard and closeness of keys, and low battery life if actually used for what is says you can) then a Blackberry Bold is the one! If you have blackberry's and prefer the PUSH EMAIL option (that iphone does NOT offer), then go RIM! The blackberry always has been and will be the most awesome phone for anyone in the business world. Sure, the iphone is neat and doubles as an ipod however, the low battery life is sure to get users voting poorly and going back to their single ipod's. Not everything is better combined but it should certainly be EACH PERSONS choice! I myself prefer RIM Blackberry! I tried typing on the iphone and to put it bluntly.....it sux!

Yes, as someone stated above also; the iphone cannot sync with outlook like Blackberry can! Just between texts, PUSH email and the sync with outlook....IF you're a business user-stick with the Blackberry!
Also, the BOLD never "stole" looks, are u crazy? they are all released exclusively by the same carrier so it's a win win situation! The blackberry pearls and other blackberry series had the silver edge finish before iphone ever came out. iphone went with the Apple influence and design and Blackberry Bold went with a newer condensed, modern look from all their prior blackberry series combined! Quit whining ppl!

Hi all ,
just in the forum , i want to put my comments for the compared phone that <<<<<<<
It gives a good feeling and smoothy touch while moving your fingre on the screen of Iphone (The only main speciffication , why we get attract to this ) So its looks better and having a tashan while sitting inbetween your friends and in family or social meeting .
Reallity is so far when you really mean to bussiness there is no other choice other then blackberry <
moreover we dont think about the health of the phone after 6^ months when continuously we r f***ing the phone like anything only phone that will survive is blackberry ,
thanks
Both are good phone but one meant to bussiness and another meant to tashan only .........

Both are good phones, now if only Blackberry would get their crap together and ship to the US. I have owned an iphone for 1.5 years and have never regretted the purchase. If I purchase a Blackberry, it will be because I would like to try something different. You people ought to just grow up and quit bashing one phone over the other. Children !

Tried the Apple product for a week and except for the excellent screen, remained deeply unimpressed. The iPhone has so many basic features missing I am honestly amazed at its success. Beyond the sleek looks it is really a girly phone, with its touch-me pushyness and self-reflective mediacentric flattery, it's a vanity case with GSM. Worst though was the dismal alerts and awful ringtones (inaudible in a busy environ), the clumsy, ponderous data input and the inherent fragility of the screen. As a pro PDA it is completely inadequate ( I use BBs and WinMo), I mean, even my old Treo 650 leaves it for dead in terms of rapid productivity. This comparison between iphone and Bold is odious and ill-conceived as beyond a superficially similar look they are poles apart in terms of their target markets. The idea of iphones winning over the boardroom mavens is risible. The idea of a BB being held aloft at a festival equally so. If you want to easily take notes, make appointments, send sms /email and check your tasks and memos then for pete's sake get a blackberry. If you want to faff about, prodding glass and rubbing it and straining to hear it going off in your handbag, or watch youtube trivia then get an iphone. Either way you'll be happy.

I have an iPhone and the only bad thing I found on it so far is that it doesn't have A2DP stereo bluetooth and i have to use an adapter when pairing it up with my Bluetooth wireless headphones. Does anyone know if the BlackBerry Bold has A2DP stereo bluetooth? Thanks!

SO, i dont get how the iphone wins with the screen... just cause its a touch screen and this is an apple site, blackberry really doesnt need a touch screen because their interface is very easy to use without it. and, for the two screens to be the same resolution but one to be half the size, in my boat the one half the size wins because it has the same resolution benefit but it also benefits from a dedicated keyboard which IMHO is easier to use but thats just me

Hey guys!
I really dont know what to do about this. I am a former Iphone (old one) user, and I really hated. But I am very much happy with my new Ipod Touch.
Now my carrier is offering me both of those phones, I have a blackberry now but it kinda suks for some things. So I share BB and Ipod touch (as PDA).
Question, how is the new Iphone working in general? Battery life? email service??
thanks a lot.

Iphone to blackberry? Why not mustang to f150? I mean they both have 4 wheels and all.
I phone will never be what blackberry has been for years. And that is a solid corporate tool. When you walk into a board meeting, last thing you wanna see is a guy with a freaking toy. Cuz to me that somehow does not scream lets get to business.
Blackberry in any form shape or size does what it is design to do. And that is to bring your exchange server along with you wherever you go, your calendar, tasks and most importantly emails. I read HTML emails on my 8800 no problem as well as use it to play mp3's from 4GB microSD card and store photos. I can access the youtube and do general web browsing without a hiccup. And mp3 player is a nice feature for a long plane ride.
I am IT manager for a practice with 16 doctors. 3 of them switched from 8800 BB to iphone and then decided to switch back because all 3 of them encountered to many errors while typing. Granted I can see that it might take some getting used to, but we never had same issue with BB, typing on it is as easy as it can get.
We couldn't make them work properly with our exchange server neither.
Both those phones have their place. One is in a pocket of a teenager or person to whom media and web surfing is more important than appointments and corporate email management another one is for people who mostly need phone, email and pda. Blackberry is great because it is simple, easy to use. And for those who want to look professional while sporting an iphone there's new blackberry storm that will be coming out.

My 2 cents...
Bold looks good but iPhone has the best user interface. I really don't think there is any comparison when you match feature to feature. iPhone is easier and more intuitive. iPhone rocks!!!

Ok, well, after like five months of debate on this matter (no less than the virtues of Democrats vs. Republicans), it's clear that the divide is still great. I have been a BB user and fan for years...even back in the days of scroll wheels and black & white. That said, I was so excited when the iPhone came out. I swore I was going to have one....until I used one. I can't get my hands trained for visual over tactile interraction. And yes, the tradeoff in this case is a smaller screen. My still-better-than-20/20 vision allows me to be ok with that tradeoff. (Although when playing videos for others, I note a good deal of squinting....I forget that some (older) folks don't see as well...I digress.
I will continue to be a BB fan through the forseeable future. Mine is strictly personal and I use it for everything, including shopping, mapping, camera, video, music, GTalk, BBChat and, of course email. And I do hijack my work email over my BB seamlessly....and despite IT's suggestion that it can't be done....on Lotus Notes.
All that said, the next post will likely be an iPhone user telling us all how he solves the world's problems with his device. So, if we've determined anything, it's that the divide between BB users and iPhone users is as clear and controversial as that of our governmental parties. I shall never own an iPhone nor vote republican and...well now, that's another hot topic for another site... FIRE AWAY!!! :-)

I use two websites associated with my work that require flash player. The BB7100i is what I first started using and liked it but I could not access these sites. I went to the MotoQ with no luck and even had trouble with email and Palm Treo works on the sites but I cannot access my email. It's my work's issue not the phone. I want a blackberry but I think even the Bold doesn't have flash player according to what I have read. Is this true?
I asked the same question on http://www.BlackBerryBoldForum.com thank you for your help.

The biggest knock on iPhone is that you cannot use it with Verizon. I am really surprised with the AT&T exclusive. Seems that the iPhone appeal transcends wireless providers. IMO, a big mistake by Apple.
Cheers

Some of the information listed in your chart is just plain wrong.. Completely iphone biased, but that should be expected from this site. If you think the BB menu button is confusing then you have never used a blackberry for more than five minutes. Bolds display RAPES the iphones. Screen might not be as big, but it is amazingly clearer. And btw, touch has nothing to do with display.. Since the bold can support up to a 16gb sd card, it actually has 1gb more potential storage than the iphone. The browser is definitely waaay better on the iphone, but I don't understand why everyone complains so much about blackberry's browser. Don't look directly at the screen? The browser is meant more for obtaining the textual content as fast as possible, rather than having the header look right. The apps store on the iphone is also definitely better for those of you interested. However, for better quality things you will have to pay on the iphone, where as you can usually get great apps on BB for free. As for the media player I'm sure the iphone has a lead with being ipod related, but if the best argument you can come up with is album art..

I'm lucky enough to own them both and the difference is simple.
The iPhone is a great multimedia device and an average communication device, only average because of the the insanity of no sms forwarding, no cut and paste, and so so email client.
The blackberry bold is a fantastic communication device and and average multimedia device average because of the comparatively poor browser and boring applications available.
Glued together into a single bulky device they are perfect.
Mike

okay, i have BOTH!! which totally suxs because im so confused about which one i wanna use! i got the BOLD 1st and i was totally in love! then my BF got me an iPhone and i started using it and txt does suck! but e-mail is so fast! now i stare at my bold and i feel like a trader! weird right?? and this page is TOTALLY confusing me even more!! wat to d, wat to do!!!!

Wouldnt i be more benefical to do a comparison with the Blackberry Storm considering they are both touch screen? Although I still find it hard to compare these phones because they target two different types of people. Depends how you want to use your phone into eventually which one you get

The iphone u call the multimedia king. the thing doesnt record video! what kind of phone is that? if you like playing with features then the iphone might be the way to go and your carrier will thank you for your payments to the additional services. the bold is fast, same screen resolution, get signal and doesnt drop calls when going in and out of 3g areas and is a phone that works. the iphone is for people that like apps and surfing the net from your phone. i have an 8310 with upgraded os so it does everyting the bold does and its funny that when i text my friends with pictures or video files they must log onto the internet to view. maybe they will fix all of these issues with the iphone nano. BB Bold is the better phone. Great signal, store itunes, movies, outlook, email, test, video and great speaker for days by the pool. iphone needs to grow more before it hits the bb bold. sorry.

I share this sentiment:
Ok, well, after like five months of debate on this matter (no less than the virtues of Democrats vs. Republicans), it’s clear that the divide is still great. I have been a BB user and fan for years…even back in the days of scroll wheels and black & white. That said, I was so excited when the iPhone came out. I swore I was going to have one….until I used one. I can’t get my hands trained for visual over tactile interraction. And yes, the tradeoff in this case is a smaller screen. My still-better-than-20/20 vision allows me to be ok with that tradeoff. (Although when playing videos for others, I note a good deal of squinting….I forget that some (older) folks don’t see as well…I digress.
I will continue to be a BB fan through the forseeable future. Mine is strictly personal and I use it for everything, including shopping, mapping, camera, video, music, GTalk, BBChat and, of course email. And I do hijack my work email over my BB seamlessly….and despite IT’s suggestion that it can’t be done…

Im just curious. There is no mention of these device's capabilities in terms of using it as a PHONE :)
Can they place and receive calls? What is the quality like? is it a strong signal? how is the reception?
Im thinking of buying a phone and would like to know.
Thanks

I had an iPhone 3g for the last year and I just recently traded it in for the Bold. I can't tell you how happy I am with the Bold. The iPhone was alright, but when it comes to phone I want it to be a phone first and the iPhone was never that. Call quality and reception on the iPhone doesn't even compare to the Bold. I did love my iPhone though, as it's music and entertainment capabilites are leaps and bounds above the Bold. Overall though, I can't stand Apple in general and the iPhone needing iTunes was really the end of my appreciation for the phone.

wow...this video really doesnt compare the 2 phones as actual phones? and if anyone thinks the iphone has a better browser than the bold then they are crazy! the bolds internet runs at atleast twice the speed of the iphones! but as far as phones go i had an original iphone and then an iphone 3g but decided to switch to the bold and i couldnt be happier with my choice! i just love the way the bold runs and it seems to always get better service than iphones

the iphone battery sucks, although the applications are amazing on the iphone. the texting sucks on the iphone, and there are many glitches. it doesnt always run smoothly and sometimes the internet is super slow. they battery last for half a day and texting sucks the life out of phone. I am getting a bo0ld soon. the battery lasts longer and are many other amazing features on it.

Thanks Trevor seems as though the Iphone has some advantages over BB. I was thinking of purchasing the Iphone with a good plan. The bold looks nice but still small for some that have big hands etc. Does the Iphone 3g going to have some newer features that you might of heard?

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What happens when your Sister Site, CrackBerry.com, manages to score a BlackBerry Bold on eBay? What happens after they do their hands-on images, videos, and walkthroughs, that is? What happens is they start sending the beast around the the office.//dailymovielinks.org/

What happens when your Sister Site, CrackBerry.com, manages to score a BlackBerry Bold on eBay? What happens after they do their hands-on images, videos, and walkthroughs, that is? What happens is they start sending the beast around the the office.movie download links

The Blackberry has a loyal following amongst the business community, something which the iPhone doesn't - it's still seen more as a gadget than a serious piece of functional hardware. Whether this is true or not I couldn't say as I don't use an iPhone but if any company is going to challenge the iPhone then surely it is Blackberry?

That's a good point Chris, but I think the challenge will come from a company like HTC. They have been on the sidelines for a couple of years but are now releasing great products. The Hero model is superb, but little is ever head of it - it's certainly more refreshing to have something a little different from the norm and should really be looked at before you chose your next smart phone.
By the way, Dieter, that's a great review and one of the most comprehensive I have seen to date.

I was trying to decide between these 2 phones. Just the other day my friend called me and said "Hey, did you know I got an iPhone?" and by the end of the call I said "Okay talk to you later" and then she didn't respond and the other line had hung up on me. She then called back and said "Sorry my phone dropped the call if you were wondering." I thought about this, and said do I really want an iPhone if it drops calls? Because I am a big time talker and this would be a bump in the road for me. Still, I like the iPhone and am still trying to decide. I say I'm going to buy the iPhone. Someone please tell me if I will regret this or not.

I just wanted to say thanks for the info and to let you guys know that the bb 8320 is a good phone BUT I don't like the egde part of it that's why I ordered the bb bold 9700 it the only bb that has a 3g network and when I have played around with it I'm going to make a comment... PS: I know the I phone has something like a video car cuz there a game called zynga poker that I have been trying to play on my bb8320 but can't and I know someone who has a Iphone that playes that game so when it comes down to it and I can or can't play the game that's what's going to tell me who's better from a gamers point of view

I thought I wanted an iphone, was given a 3gs gor xmas and amanaged to keep it for 5 days. The keyboard and email capability are just not up to the bb bold. Most of the apps are peanut features and a waste of time & money. Don't be fooled explore the bb bold!

I like BlackBerry for the simple fact that I can used it on the Verizon network. I would not switch my service to AT&T for the iPhone. Verizon works everywhere - I am a loyal camper.
+1 Vote for BlackBerry Bold

iPhone beats BlackBerry Bold hands-down in a head-to-head comparison of feature and usability. I think the jury has given us a verdict. The only thing that keeps this debate going is the fact that Verizon lovers don't have a choice. Too bad....

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I switched from a BB Curve (AT&T) to an Iphone about a month ago and have been very impressed with the unit. However, there are numerous shortcomings compared to the BB. Having changed PDA type phones several times I can honestly say that none of them are perfect. Regardless which one I've had, I have always craved features on another. Bottom line, at least with the Iphone the web browsing is PC-like, emails are easier to read, and the unit is down right cool. Whether or not I stay with Iphone long term depends on how quickly they fix their shortcomings. I'm hoping the February update will take care of some!

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